Darrell Johnson, 75; led Sox to epic 1975 World Series
Tommy Harper, who played for Darrell Johnson for one season in 1974 with the Boston Red Sox, remembered the ex-manager as "a quiet man who loved and understood the game of baseball."
Mr. Johnson, who in 1975 led the Sox to one of baseball's most dramatic World Series, died of leukemia Monday at his home in Fairfield, Calif. He was 75. Mr. Johnson, who was also the first manager of the expansion Seattle Mariners before taking the reins of the Texas Rangers, served as Sox skipper from 1974 to 1976, going 220-188.
The 1975 season was his most memorable. After going 95-65 in the regular season, the Sox swept the three-time defending world champion Oakland A's in the championship series to win the American League pennant.
The Sox foe in the World Series was Sparky Anderson's Big Red Machine: the powerhouse Cincinnati Reds. The epic seven-game battle produced some of the most magical moments in Sox history, including the extra-inning Carlton Fisk home run that won Game 6 at Fenway Park.
Midway through the 1976 season, however, with his team 41-45, Mr. Johnson was fired and replaced by Don Zimmer.
He was hired by the Mariners for the 1977 season and lasted four seasons in Seattle before finishing his managerial career with Texas in 1982. His lifetime record was 472-590.
"Darrell was very low-key," said Harper, now a consultant with the Red Sox. "In those days, the manager had the clout if he wanted it, but Darrell never made you feel like he was trying to prove he was in charge. He wasn't anything like [1967 manager] Dick Williams, I can tell you that. "I think anyone who played for Darrell liked the experience."
Mr. Johnson, known for his patience with young players, introduced the "Gold Dust Twins" to the Sox faithful. Center fielder Fred Lynn and left fielder Jim Rice, both rookies in 1975, became the heart of a potent Sox lineup and fixtures for the team for many years. Both Lynn and Rice often spoke fondly of Mr. Johnson, expressing gratitude that he put his faith in them as young players, and eased them into the spotlight.
While Mr. Johnson tended to have a light touch in dealing with his veterans, he was a hands-on teacher to such young players as Lynn and Rice. Such a style was effective for the 1975 Sox.
"He was very patient, not only with the two rookies. He was that way with everyone," Rico Petrocelli, the third baseman on the 1974 and 1975 teams, told the Associated Press. "He was very good at managing pitchers." Former Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman, who employed Mr. Johnson as a minor league manager in Baltimore in the 1960s and later as a major league scout with the Mets in the 1980s, did not hesitate when he was looking for a manager in Seattle.
"I immediately hired him as the first Major League manager," Gorman said. "Good instructor, great with young kids.
"He was a man who had a great deal of patience, a very underrated manager. He was a much better tactician than people gave him credit for. You never saw him chew a player out in public. Players had great respect for him." Gorman said Mr. Johnson was adroit at mixing toughness with that trademark patience.
"I remember once we had lost 13 games in a row, but our kids were battling hard. I told Darrell, `Our guys have played their butts off.' He said, `I agree 100 percent, but I'm going to go give them hell. I don't want them ever to accept losing. I don't want them to ever get complacent.' That stuck with me. Darrell thought it was important that they thought they could win tomorrow."
After leaving the Mariners, Mr. Johnson managed the Rangers for a year. A catcher during his playing career, Mr. Johnson played 134 games in the majors from 1952 to 1962. He played for the St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles. He had a lifetime .234 batting average and two homers in 320 at bats.
